Dan Bern helps kick off Winnipeg Folk Festival

Iowa-born folksinger Dan Bern will help kick off the 40th annual Winnipeg Folk Festival with a one-night stand at the West End Cultural Centre.

Bern, who is known for his sardonic lyrics and often draws comparisons to Bob Dylan, will perform his 2012 album Wilderness Song in its entirety on Tuesday, July 9. The concert will be a Canadian première.

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Dan Bern

Wilderness Song is the soundtrack to American filmmaker Jonathan Demme's (Silence of the Lambs) documentary about Everett Reuss, a teenager who, in the 1930s, renounced society to live and travel in the wilderness, which he did for a few years before vanishing. The album was adapted from Reuss's letters, essay and poems.

Bern's songwriting talents were also featured in the 2007 biopic parody film Walk Hard, starring John C. Reilly.

Tickets to the July 9 show are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. They go on sale Feb. 11 on Ticketmaster and are also available at West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store and Music Trader.

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